Wire stripping apparatus



Feb. 11, 1947. c. B. BEUSCHEL 2,415,669

WIRE STRIPPING APPARATUS Filed May 2, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2

43/ 20 I9 ns I g 7 723 22 I5 2/ x I0 30 28 Q 2 as 29 INVENTOP 6.8; BEUSCHEL ar y A T TO/PNEY I Feb. 11, 1947. Q sc 2,415,669

WIRE STRIPPING APPARATUS Filed May 2, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR C. 8. 8E USCHE L ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 11, 1947 UNITED STATE 2,415,669 WIRE STRIPPING APPQR/ATUS Clemens B. Beuschel, Queensiillage,

signor to Western Electric Company,

rated, New York, N. Y.,

York

Application May 2, 1944 N. Y., as- Incorpoa corporation of New Serial No. 533,810

4 Claims. (01 81-951) This invention relates to an apparatus for stripping strands, and more particularly to .an apparatus for stripping insulation from electrical conductors.

There have been several problems .in' the removal of insulation such as molded grubbeninsulation, which is more or less adherent to the wire, by scraping with a knife or other edged tool. This is a tedious chore, and whereltlias to be done many times, as in the assembly of many kinds of electrical apparatus where numerous connecting wires must be thus stripped at both ends before being put in place, becomes importantly time consuming.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, convenient and reliable device for positively stripping heat softenable insulation from a predetermined portion of an insulated conductor wire.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention may be embodied in a device for removing insulation from an end portion'of a metal conductor wire insulated with a sheath compris ing a layer of heat softenable material in contact with the wire, the said device comprising a stationary contact member connectible to one side Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig.. 3 with parts in.

another position; v

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on the line 5-.-5 of Figs. 3 and 6 Fig. 6 is a detached face view of showing of Fig. 5;

Fig. 'l is a detached view of a piece of insulated wire to have a portion at one end stripped of insulation; and

Fig. 8 shows the wire stripped.

The embodiment of the invention herein illustrated comprises atabular, slab-like base iii of rigid electrically insulating material, e. g., a suitable artificial resin plastic such as Bakelite, or hard rubber, hard fiber, wood, porcelain, orthe like. A rigid bracket I6 is mounted on this base with screws Ill. The upright arm of this bracket is preferably, though not necessarily, slanted back a little as shown, the two arms of the bracket being at somewhat-less than a right angle to each other. Near the upper end of the bracket a metal contact member 29, preferably of copper or other high conductivity material, is mounted by means of a screw I5.

of an electric circuit, a contact member movable toward and from the stationary member and connectible to the other side of the electric circuit, and means on the movable contact to cut through the insulation of an insulated wire and to make electrical contact of the wire with the movable contact, the parts being so proportioned and 'arranged that motion of the movable contact with a wire held in the cutting means thereon toward the stationary contact will bring the end of the wire into contact with the stationary contact tr heat the portion of wire between the two contacts to soften the insulation thereon to enable the wire to be withdrawn therefrom.

Further objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, where in the same reference numerals are applied to identical parts in the several figures, and wherein Fig. 1 is a view in end elevation of an apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof with parts broken Facing the bracket I6 is an upstanding support post ll pivotally mounted on a shaft M in a block 20 which is secured on the base l8 by screws H. The post I1 is tiltable toward and from'the upright of the bracket 16 and is urged away from the latter by a coil spring 19, while a stop pin 2| mounted in the post limits this motion of the postto the position shown in Fig. 3. The forward tilting of the-post [1 toward the bracket I6 is limited by a threaded stop member 22 mounted in a correspondingly threaded bore in the bracket l6 and adjustably locked in place by a jam nut 24. The outer end of the member- 22 which is designed to make-contact against the post ll when the latter has been tilted forward against the urge of the spring l9 to a desired position, is furnished with a tip 23 of some suitable insulating material, e. g., hard rubber, hard fiber, Bakelite, or the like.

The screw I5 besides serving to hold the contact member 29 in place on the bracket l6, may also serve to secure on the bracketlfi and in electrical communication with the member 29 the terminal I20 of an electrical supply cable l2. Similarly, the terminal of another cable [3 is secured to the post 11 and in electrical communication therewith by a screw 35. The cables I2 and 13 the completed aemoea --are connected to any suitable source (not shown) 01' low voltage, high amperage, electric current.

The upper end of the post it is formed bifurcate, as shown, with a vertical slot 25, between rigid stripping jaws to and 2'6'. The slot 25 is tapered in cross-section, as best shown in Fig. 5, to provide cutting edges on the opposed edges of the jaws 25 and 2'1]. The slot 25 is also tapered from top to bottom, as best shown in Fig. 6, .to allow the device to be used for stripping wires of various gauges. I

Preferably a casing 3b is mounted on the base I 8, as shown, to protect an operator's eyes from the intense flash of arcs or sparks, when the device is used. In such case the casing will have a small aperture 28 to give access to the contact 29.

Let it now be assumed that a piece of wire M (Fig. 7) is to have a portion 'of its right end stripped of both the textile braid 32 over molded rubber 33 with which the wire is insulated. With the parts of the device in the position shown in Fig. 3, the wire is forced transversely down into the slot 25, with the cutting edges of the jaws 26 and 21 at the required-distance from the right end of the wire 31, until the jaw edges just make contact with the metal of the wire. The wire is then rotated until the combined braid and rubber insulation is cut through circumferentially of the wire. The post it is then tilted forward until the exposed tip 36 of the wire makes contact with the member 29, and the heavy current from the cables l2 and i3 passes through the wire 30 and heats this to a point .where the inmost portion of the insulating sheath 33 is melted or sufiiciently softened so that a light pull on the outer part of the wire at the left (Fig. 4) of the jaws Ztand 2?, draws the portion of the wire at the right of the jaws out of the cut off. section of insulation about it. Done in this manner, the stripping of one end of a wire having molded insulation thereon, becomes a matter of only a few seconds.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for removing insulation from an end portion of a metal conductor wire insulated with a sheath comprising a layer of heat softenable material in contact with the wire, the said device comprising a base, a stationary contact member rigidly mounted on the base, means to connect the said member to one side of an electric circuit, a contact member pivotally mounted on the base to be tiltably movable toward and from the stationary member, means to connect said tiltable member to the other side of the electric circuit, and means on the movable ,contact member to cut through the insulation of an insulated wire and to make electrical contact of the wire with the movable contact'member, the parts being so constructed and arranged that motion of the movable contact member with a wire held in the cutting means thereon toward the stationary contact member will bring the end of the wire into contact with the stationary contact member to cause current to pass through and to heat the portion of wire between the two contact members to soften the insulation thereon to enable the wire to be withdrawn therefrom while the severed portion of the insulation is retained by the cutting means against withdrawal.

2. A device for removing insulation from an end portion of a metal conductor wire insulated with a sheath comprising a layer of heat softenable material in contact with the wire, the said device comprising a base, a stationary contact 7 member rigidly mounted on the base, means to connect the said member to one side of an electric circuit, a contact member pivotally mounted on the base to be tiltably movable toward and from the stationary member, means to connect said tiltable member to the other side of the electric circuit, and sharp edged jaws on the.

movable contact member to cut through the insulation of an insulated wire and to make electrical contact of the wire with the movable contact member, the parts being so constructed and arranged that motion of the movable contact member with a wire held in the jaws thereon toward the stationary contact member will bring the end of the wire into contact with the stationary contact member to cause current to pass through and to heat the portion of wire between the two contact members to soften the insulation thereon to enable the wire to be withdrawn therefrom while the severed portion of the insulation is retained by the jaws against with:- drawal.

3. A device for removing insulation from an end portion of a metal conductor wire insulated r' with a sheath comprising a layer of heat softenable material in contact with the wire, the said device comprising a base, a stationary contact member rigidly mounted on the base, means to connect'the said member to one side of an electric circuit, a. contact member pivotally mounted on the base to be tiltably movable toward and from the stationary member, means to connect said tiltable member to the other side of the electric circuit, and sharp edged jaws on the movable contact member to cut through the insulation of an insulated wire and to make electrical contact of the. wire with the movable contact member,

\ tained by the jaws against withdrawal, in combination with stop means to-iimit the motion of the movable contact member toward and from the stationary contact member. I

"4. A device for removing insulation from an endportion or a metal conductorwire insulated with a sheath comprising a' layer of heat softenable material in contact with the wire, the said device comprising a base, a stationary contact member rigidly mounted on the base, means to connect the said member to one side of an electric circuit, a contact member pivotally mounted on the base to be tiltably movable toward and from the stationary member, means to connect said tiltable member to the other side of the electric circuit, and sharp. edged jaws on the movable contact member having sharp edges thereon to cut through the insulation of an insulated wire and to make electrical contact of the wire with the movable contact member, the parts being so constructed and arranged that motion of the movable contact member with a wire held in the jaws thereon toward the stationary contact member will bring the end of the wire into contact with the stationary contact member to cause current to pass through and to heat the portion of wire between the two contact members to soften the insulation thereon 5 to enable the wire to be withdrawn therefrom while the severed portion of the insulation is retained by the jaws against withdrawal, in combination with means to urge the movable contact member resiliently away from the stationary contact member and stop means to limit the motion of the movable contact member toward and from the stationary contact member.

CLEMENS B. BEUSCHEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number m Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Nelson Aug. 31, 1928 Levlnger et al. Aug. 10, 1926 Bailey Aug. 19% Watts Feb. 2'7, 18% FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date British Apr, e, 1935 

